Flume screen with indicating device



G. R.: loDDY PLUME SCREEN wI'rH INIcM-ING DEvIcz Filed Oct. 3,

2 Sharks-Sheetl l Sept- 29, 1925.

' G. R. RODDYl FLUME SCREEN WITH INDICATING HENGE-v Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1924 :orlclyr @uw 'Zarka Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

1,555,7tit

` UNITED STATES PATENTV mim-C'- (Er'USIA'V R. RODDY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, .ASSIGNOR TO CHAINBEL'I COIVI-` v IEANY,` O13"` MILWAUKEE,V WISCONSIN, A` CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

. IFI-UME 'SCREEN WITH INDICATING DEVICE.

Application filed October 3, 19.2%. Serial No. 741,429.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv R. RoDnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and Sta-te of Wisconsin,v have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flume Screens with Indicating Devices, of which the following is a specification. j

My invention relates to liquid screening apparatus such as is used for taking from sewage, hor water to be used for industrial purposes, the coarser material that may be carried thereby land itis particularly adapted for use inapparatus of this nature in which the screen is in the form of an endless traveling belt made up of filter or screen sections supportedvupon and carriedv by sprocket chains,and where the screen stands vertically, thefopposite screen surfaces-moving in vertical planes and at right angles to the path of the flowing liquid, one traveling downward, and the otherupward.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is asideelevation of a liquid screen embodying my invention, with certain parts broken away, and other parts, that are not necessary for an illustration of the invention, omitted. y

Fig. 2 is an end view of the4 screen illustrated in Fig. l, certain parts being broken away and omitted, and other parts being represented in vertical section, A l e Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on a scale much larger than Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating one end of the supporting shaft for the foot wheels, and associated means' for preventing undesirable flow of unscreened water at this point. Y Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IIR-IV of Fig. 3. Y e

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing an elevation of means for amplifying the movements of the indicator. l Fig.A 6 is an end view of the indicator represented in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is ai-sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Fi'gr5.` j y l Referring te the drawings'A indicates the supporting,andguiding framework of the "apparatus,B, the largehe'ad sprocket wheels,

^ j My invention so far as this invention is concerned, maybe of any usual or preferred form. The lower or foot wheels, which, when the apparatus is in use are immersed in the liquidto be screened, extend into a boot G, that encases them at thesides and bottom, and is supported by the framework A, 'Directly below the screen, where it makes the turn aboutit-he footwheels G, and extending from one end wall 2 `of the boot to' theother,`isllocated a curved boot plateI-I.l VThe screen'sections E are formed with lips I that assist in `retaining the material ,collected fromf the liquid on the uprun' of the screen.

' The parts thus far described are r common and wellknown in the art. Inthe use of a liquid screen such as described,`it is? customary to adjust the upper or head wheels B by means of the mechanism `D soas to give the proper tightness to `the sprocket chains F. These chains, however, sooner or later wear at their joints, with the result that they sag and fall away somewhat from the lower sprocket wheels, which wheelsv it has been customary to support upon a shaft c that is ixedly mounted in or relative tothe boot G. As` a result of the looseness of the chains due to use and wear, the llips I of the screen sections travel undesirably close to the boot plate H, or even `drag along the surface thereof. But it cannot always be ascertained when this undesirable condition occu`rs,vowing to the fact that'the foot wheels and lower portions `of ,the screen are submerged, andso it frequently happens that the upper sprocket wheels are not adjusted fto take up the slack in the chains until the apparatus has run for a considerable period 'of time under the undesirable conditions referred to. l

has for its object to provide automatic indicating means that are adapted to inform Vthe one operating the apparatus' so worn as to interfere with the most desirable working ofthe apparatus, and I will now describe one form of such ^indicating mechanism. j j j' e In the end walls 2 of the boot are formed vertically elongated openings or slots l through which extend the ends ofthe shaft o on which turn the lower or foot sprocket 'whenever the chains'F are properly adjusted, j

as well as wheny they `are stretched or,l become l wheels C.` In the end portionsof this shaft are formed flat seats 13 against which rest the edges of keeper plates 3, located just inside the end walls of the boot. Each keeper plate is secured, by bolts 5, to a follower plate 4 somewhat larger thanl the keeper plate, andjthroughrwhich is a hole ltfor the passageiof'the shaft c." The platesl 3 and 4, thus united, are located inslideways 6 secured to the inner faces lof the end walls ofthe boot, in which ,they areffree'fto move along vertical lines. The keeper plates 3, being .securedl fast to theffollower plates 4l, and the latter' in turn heldin-place by the slideways 6,. preventrotationfof the shaft'c in its supports, but 'permit it tomove vertically to Ithe extent-allowed by `the fslots l. The plates 3 andillserve -also-4 to coverthe slots l and prevent any appreciable lowof liquid throughtheni-y duringfuthe ,operationY ofv @the apparatus; The slots l? need Anot be long,y asnavertical movement of; lessthan oneinch is all that'ordinarily should be allowed the shaft 0,1 due tolooseness, wear-vor stretching of-parts,-before f adjustments of the head wheels Bshouldbe made.- Y'

indicates-a'"collar-secured fast to the shaftfcgby a Aset screw 8 justinside the hub ofone of1 the wheels Gg: Seatedin a screwthreaded aperturey provided therefor in the collar fvisthelowerthreaded end of a rod 9-.fthat extends upwardflto aposition where its xupper end maybeconveniently observed. At :suchf-upper'iend -it.is provided -withza pointerfllA/that moves across theface of a dial -lplate 12, suitably supported. The rod 9 passes-through onel or moreguides lQ-by which lit -is-'suitably held and maintained in position;A u L" 'i :y The operation of my invention may be understood` from the foregoing description takeniin connectionl withl the draw-ings.r`

4When the apparatus i's set? upforiuse the shaft cshould .o'ccupyv the Vupper -portion of thefslotsil; Asthe chains avear and stretch .through use the-shaft fallsfandwitsimovement f downward` is indicated by the p ointer 'traveling overfthe-face ofgthevdial 12, and thus rgives ythe lwarning to Athe operator when the, head wheels should lbey adjusted.y l v l -When the indicator is constructed and arranged as described the movements ofi-the pointer l-l arci-short and :might fail to attractrthe attention of thel=attendant in charge of the operation off-thes'machine'. l have, -there=fore,. Sin* Figs.V f 5,516 and 7- -illustrated means for amplifying thev movement ofthe indicatorl vf i Referringato these views l5 indicates an arm `at 'the upper end -of the :rod 19,.'lat -.-the end of which is secured a gearfrack ,-16 iu mesh 'with which-is. a Ypinion l-17 the shaft l8ofwhich carries la pointer 11( that-moves, ilria curved pa;rt,` across the face of afidial vhave illustrated my inventionby means of a visible'indicator,*consisting fofga pointer moving across the face of a dial, and while thisis a practical and perhaps the most obvious form of the invention it is not the only practical one, and its choice and illustration is therefore to be "consideredv as typical of any indicating'deviceywhich might be substitutedfor` a pointer and dial and serve the equivalent thereof in giving thc ldesired information or warning to the one in charge of the apparatus.

The indicating apparatus is operated byV thel movementsvoffsomepart of thescreen apparatus vdue to wear or slacknessrfrom use. In'v the! embodiment. oftheinvention here shown itis thefshaft aand the submerged iparts which it r`supports that `directly give Ymotion to the 'indicating f device, this part fallingiby'gravity as the chains F stretch or wear.z at the .joints but my; invention is not=limitedv to thef particular arrangementshownfV It may ibeiembodied in variou's arrangements of apparatus, for instance, where the' shaft -for the' lower or -foot wheels is# supported 'finV fixed bearings, and -where the-chains as they'=pa'ss rthe`v lower wheels tendito sag'or fall` away therefrom, due to the chains becoming slack from wear or stretching; and' the indicator may be ,operated by reason of such sagging of? thechains. In'anotherapplication signed by me ofeven date herewith, I illustrate and 'claimfapparatus suchy as justffreferred tof What I-claim is .Y f LPIn a liquid screening apparatus, the combination with yan endlesskscreen and meansforsupporting and driving the same, off anindicating devicev controlled by those movements of the screen duetothe wear or adjustment ofparts.. "1f 0 2.-In-a` liquid f screening apparatus, the combination -with f an endless screen and means for supporting and driving the same, of: anindicating devicecontrolled by movements of fthose :portions vof the 'screen which are .submerged due-i to the wear or adjust'- rn'entofipartsn -1 .f

3:-In aliquid screening apparatus, the combination with an endless -screen and means' 'for supporting andfdrivingthe same, of a device for indicating the movements ofy ythe screen .due to the: lwearof; its parts, and; connectionsforoperating the indica-ting device arranged to be operatedgby the -screen apparatusa's itfmoves in a peculiar path or manner incident to the wear or-adjustment of rp 1, will?, 1,. .if j W12.' 4. In a liquid screening apparatus, the combination .f-with -anf :endless screenfand means for; supporting? anddrivingv -t'hesame, parts f of they screen apparatus being: :freec-to sag''by action'of4 gravity as 'parts -fweag of a-n indicating device, andlme'an's for-controlling the-indicating device arranged-to be operated by reason'off. the aforesaid.; `sag of partsfof'the screenapparatusf='I rffl- 5. In a liquid screening apparatus, the combination with an endless screen, head and foot Wheels Which support the same, adjusting mechanism for the head Wheels, and supports for the foot Wheels which permit them to fall as the chains stretch and Wear, of an indicating device, and connections between the indicating device and the foot Wheels arranged to indicate the position of the foot Wheels.

6. In a liquid screening apparatus, the combination of an endless screen, head and foot Wheels Which support the same, adjusting mechanism `for the screen, a shaft on Which the foot Wheels are supported mounted so as to be free to fall as the endless screen Wears and stretches, a rod connected With the shaft so as to move u and down as the shaft falls, and an indicating device controlled by the rod.

7. The lcombination stated in claim 6, including means located between therod and indicating device for increasing the amplitude of the movement ofthe latter relative to that of the rod.

8. In a liquid screening apparatus, the combination of an endless screen, head and foot Wheels which support the same, a boot in Which the foot Wheels turn, the end Walls of Which are slotted, a shaft on Which the foot wheels are supported the ends of which lie in the slots in the end Walls of the boot, plates secured to the shaft covering the said slots, guides for the plates to prevent the turning of the shaft to permit it to move vertically, a rod connected with the shaft, and indicating means operated by the shaft to indicate the vertical movements of the shaft.

GUSTAV R. RODDY. 

